Samsung has created the first LCD panel that can produce independent images on each side of a mobile LCD display.

Samsung Develops First Truly Double-sided LCD

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world’s largest provider of thin-film
transistor, liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels announced today that it has
created the first LCD panel that can produce independent images on each side of
a mobile LCD display. Samsung’s new double-sided LCD can show two entirely
different pictures or sets of visual data simultaneously on the front and back
of the same screen. Other conventional double-sided LCDs can only show a reverse
image of the same video data.

This new development will replace two display panels with one, thereby
reducing overall thickness of mobile products by at least 1mm.

Executive Vice President Yun Jin-hyuk, in charge of the Mobile Display
Division of the Samsung Electronics LCD Business, says, “Our new double-sided
mobile display underscores Samsung’s commitment to equip our customers with
advanced display technology that accelerates the trend toward slimmer mobile
products. We anticipate high demand when we commence mass production in the
first half of 2007.”

The breakthrough LCD product makes use of Samsung’s new double-gate,
thin-film transistor (TFT) architecture. TFT gates are electronic components
that convert the necessary voltage at the pixel level, which controls the liquid
crystal alignment needed to reproduce on-screen images. Samsung’s new
double-sided LCD has two gates that operate each pixel instead of one, so the
screen on the front can display different images than the one on the back. The
double-sided display makes use of Samsung’s proprietary Amorphous Silicon Gate
(ASG) technology, which accommodates the increased number of TFT gates without
increasing the size of the driver integrated circuits. Driver-ICs typically
increase in size when more TFT gates are used.

The new Samsung mobile display requires only one backlight, while competitive
double-screen LCDs require two. One side of the panel operates in a transmissive
mode, while the other operates in a reflective mode. By using a unique
reflective design that utilizes the light trapped in the opposing screen’s
transmissive mode, the reflective mode does not solely rely on external light
sources such as the sun.

The double-sided, dual image LCD’s efficient use of light to display images
in both transmissive and reflective modes promotes slimmer, more cost-effective
products.

The new double-sided LCD is 2.6mm thick and 2.22” wide, with QVGA (240 x 320
pixel) resolution, and has brightness values of 250 nits for the front and 100
nits for the rear display. It will be exhibited at the Consumer Electronics
Show, which opens in Las Vegas on January 8.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor,
telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005
parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion.
Employing approximately 128,000 people in over 120 offices in 57 countries, the
company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business,
Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and
Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing
global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory
chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, visit www.samsung.com